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What has lead to black opposition to the Republican Party?

I was watching the speech that Mitt Romney made to the NAACP. First of all, I was glad that he went to speak to the group, in spite of the fact that most in attendance and African-Americans in general will not support him. It lead to think about this.....How on Earth did it get to the point that African-Americans are voting in overwhelming numbers for Democrats? I do not know how the perception of the Republican Party as an anti-black party came into being. The Republican Party was founded on the position of anti-slavery. Republicans were huge supporters of policy advancing the rights of African-Americans, including the Civil Rights Act. I know that there were Democrats that helped in the Advancement of African-American rights (like Harry Truman, who got rid of segregation in the military and Lyndon Johnson, who pushed for the Civil Rights Act). However, there were also many Democrats who were opposed to policy that led the advancement of African-Americans. It took many years for the party to become supportive of African-American advancing policy. Personally, I think that we as a country should stop voting for candidates based on racial interests and vote on candidates that could help advance our country. I think we need to truly become a society that judges people not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Now, I would love for you guys, in a CIVIL manner, to debate this question: What has lead to black opposition to the Republican Party and how can it be changed?

Wow, we have been down this road, many times and in different threads.

True, the dixie-democrats (dixie-crats) where against blacks advancement, and there were a activity black republicans in the south during the 50's (which Condolesia Rice was quick to point out many times. That all changed when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Acts around 1964. He predicted that the south will fall to the republicans once he signed the bill.

He was right, with the turmoil after MLK and the Robert Kennedy during 1968, the republicans party led by Richard M. Nixon was able to paint the Democrats as the party of the counter-culture (radical hippie protesters, the radical and peacfull black movement) and started the republicans inroads into the south.

If you have notice, anything that haves a tint of counter-culture or not mainstream white culture has been fought against by the republicans since those days. Fight against MLK national holiday, gay rights, women issues like abortions, medical marijuana, to tighten illegal aliens laws. Then they let Rush Limbaugh and Pat Buchanan give out talking points for them.

Then if you notice that the tea party, who are the radical arm of the republican party tends to have racist signs at their rallies. There is a reason why their party is lilly-white. They still operate from the same game plan from the late sixties. Go for the white vote, they can usually win.

In regards to the CRA, if you look at a breakdown of the CRA, you will see bipartisanship based on party, but look at the north and south breakdown to see the true divisiveness of it.

But the biggest thing that I think influences it is the dance between people who see their vote being disenfranchised and voting for those who they thing is fighting for their right to vote. Specifically voter ID laws, we know that there are better ways to prevent voter fraud than voter ID but we insist on these policies and those policies happen to push many eligible minority voters off the rolls. When you perceive a group of people is attempting to push your vote aside and marginalize your voice you tend to not support that side.

Essentially all those "democrats" in the south left the party and formed the base of the new republican party. The one we see today that is hostile to minorities in this country. Because they were racists (it is safe to refer to the southern democrats who opposed civil rights as republicans) felt that they needed a new party after northern democrats pushed through legislation enforcing equality. Some of the most famous of these folks switched parties Thurmond, Lott. Many came back to the democratic party, but the fracture started there. As time moved on many republicans won seats from the democrats in the south running on the failure to stop civil rights. Even in recent years Bush Jr. implied that McCain had an illegitimate (actually adopted) black daughter to destroy him in South Carolina, and in effect end his campaign.

Also if you are a poor person and you see a rich person making statements about how poor people are "lazy", why would you vote for them. There is a huge economic disparity between racial groups in this country. We could argue the reasons for that, but on the surface at least, it's in the poor person's best interest to vote for a democrat.

Last edited by flips333; 07-11-2012 at 08:58 PM.

Originally Posted by MrPoon

man with hair like fire can destroy souls with a twitch of his thighs.

What Flip said. The GOP was a progressive party in the area of civil rights up until the late '60's. Richard Nixon was the guy that got the southern 'dixiecrats' to leave the Democratic Party and become Republicans. Since then the GOP has been hostile to pretty much every piece of civil rights legislation.

IIRC, one of the early RINO type purges of the GOP was getting rid of guys like Rockefeller that were too soft on civil rights. [it was along time ago, so I could be misremembering, ].

Originally Posted by flips333

Essentially all those "democrats" in the south left the party and formed the base of the new republican party. The one we see today that is hostile to minorities in this country. Because they were racists who felt that they needed a new party after northern democrats pushed through legislation enforcing equality.

Also if you are a poor person and you see a rich person making statements about how poor people are "lazy", why would you vote for them. There is a huge economic disparity between racial groups in this country. We could argue the reasons for that, but on the surface at least, it's in the poor person's best interest to vote for a democrat.

I see your point but I have to disagree. If the group of people (whether it be a race, gender, or whatever) is voting one way because they perceive the group they are voting against to be discriminatory (rightly or wrongly) then it is a big deal.

If people are voting Democrat because they are black, then there is a problem. If people who are black are voting Democrat because they perceive them to be pushing issues that are higher on their priority list, then it is a reasonable distinction to make.

What Flip said. The GOP was a progressive party in the area of civil rights up until the late '60's. Richard Nixon was the guy that got the southern 'dixiecrats' to leave the Democratic Party and become Republicans. Since then the GOP has been hostile to pretty much every piece of civil rights legislation.

IIRC, one of the early RINO type purges of the GOP was getting rid of guys like Rockefeller that were too soft on civil rights. [it was along time ago, so I could be misremembering, ].

I think you have to be careful there. Many of the Dixiecrats just went back to being plain old democrats... Goldwater won the south in 64, But in 68 it was actually George Wallace who won alot of the south(independent at the time but was a segregationist democrat before that. You also cant forget that carter won the hell out of the south in 76. It really has only been in the last 20 years that the republicans have really taken over the south... It's been a gradual,process. There used to be alot more swing states.

Last edited by flips333; 07-11-2012 at 11:45 PM.

Originally Posted by MrPoon

man with hair like fire can destroy souls with a twitch of his thighs.

You guys are talking about trends going 50 years back. I'd like to know today why more than 90% of blacks only press the button marked D. Do they think the D is helping them? Where are they getting their advice? Who's counseling them? The church? Black leaders? Particular TV networks? Their parents?

I'd like to hear from black voters. Do they feel Republicans are evil? Do they have any idea what Republicans stand for? I've been in Afghanistan for a few years with hundeds and hundreds of soldiers, civilians and contractors and I'll say this - I've never seen one single black person pay one iota of attention towards any political show be it CNN, Fox, CBS, or MSNBC as we all convene for each meal. I personally don't believe the vast, vast majority of black voters have a single idea in their head of the issues and am very curious why every one of them vote D every single time. Just curious.

You guys are talking about trends going 50 years back. I'd like to know today why more than 90% of blacks only press the button marked D. Do they think the D is helping them? Where are they getting their advice? Who's counseling them? The church? Black leaders? Particular TV networks? Their parents?

I'd like to hear from black voters. Do they feel Republicans are evil? Do they have any idea what Republicans stand for? I've been in Afghanistan for a few years with hundeds and hundreds of soldiers, civilians and contractors and I'll say this - I've never seen one single black person pay one iota of attention towards any political show be it CNN, Fox, CBS, or MSNBC as we all convene for each meal. I personally don't believe the vast, vast majority of black voters have a single idea in their head of the issues and am very curious why every one of them vote D every single time. Just curious.

So basically you are saying they are to stupid and unattentive to news to realize that the republicans are the party for them? Basic on your observation of their thinking and viewing choices? That they must getting bad counseling from someone?

I can try to answer your question. But I will not argue with you. We can discuss to our hearts content, but I will not argue.

The history of the black vote is pretty much as flip explained. Ever since the Nixon White House, the southern GOP has had a big say-so in the parties platform and voting patterns. That effect has been almost entirely negative towards any kind of civil rights legislation. It is unlikely for people to vote for a party that has supported efforts to turn around and vote for that party.

As you noted, the civil rights issues are only 50 or 60 yrs old or so. I noticed you dismissed it as an unimportant fact. Think that you made a mistake of youth. [i assume from you comment that you are younger.] There are still people alive that remember the way segregation was in the South. That actually lived under its influence. Those people are the grandfathers and grandmothers of today's young adults and the fathers and mothers of the grownups. Don't think for a minute that they have not talked to their children about what the world was like before the civil rights laws were passed. This message gets reinforced by events like the Trevon Martin shooting. Things that show that the color-blind society we all want is not here. Add to that the reaction of the politicians on the GOP side, which mainly support Zimmerman. That can easily be seen as an attitude hostile to a person based on his/her color.

Add to that the fact that the Democratic Party has been pretty good about including African-American in it's positions of power as well as regular membership, it seems easy to see why a person of color would see one party as friendly and the other hostile.

The election of Obama is a big deal to most African Americans. The reaction of the Tea Party/GOP/Radical Right to demonize Obama again reinforces the belief that the GOP is hostile to me because of my color.

If an African-American is from the South, they are even more aware that the effort to build the color-blind society has a way to go.

This is the part I have trouble explaining. It is something I learned somewhere, but don't have a reference or link that explains it very well, so please be understanding. There is a tendency among sub-groups in a society that feel they are discriminated against or that they don't have a fair chance to stick together. When they stick together, they support each other more than a majority group might. As long as the group feels picked on, their tendency to close ranks against the oppressor, to stick together, continues. As they become more successful and less fearful, there is less group identity an more selfish concern for their own welfare. But until the individual feels he gets a fair deal, he will stick more with a group identity to feel safer. In this case, until the individual feels his 'blackness' is no longer a liability, he will vote in a way that reflects the interest of his group instead of himself. Now this is a weak explanation, and not everyone is effected the same amount, but it is germane, i think.

Note: Feel free to disagree with this part. It is more speculative. The current anti-immigrant stand by the GOP adds to the belief that the GOP is morphing into a 'white peoples party'. That the talk about illegal's is actually a code word for Hispanics. Prejudice against one people of color does not inspire confidence in a different people of color. Especially when the GOP already carries a presumption of guilt from past actions.

Just some thoughts on the subject, hope it answers some of your questions.

Originally Posted by John X Doe

You guys are talking about trends going 50 years back. I'd like to know today why more than 90% of blacks only press the button marked D. Do they think the D is helping them? Where are they getting their advice? Who's counseling them? The church? Black leaders? Particular TV networks? Their parents?

I'd like to hear from black voters. Do they feel Republicans are evil? Do they have any idea what Republicans stand for? I've been in Afghanistan for a few years with hundeds and hundreds of soldiers, civilians and contractors and I'll say this - I've never seen one single black person pay one iota of attention towards any political show be it CNN, Fox, CBS, or MSNBC as we all convene for each meal. I personally don't believe the vast, vast majority of black voters have a single idea in their head of the issues and am very curious why every one of them vote D every single time. Just curious.